Monday, March 21, 2011

Many a poor and thirsty student has ended up at the Lansdowne. For years it was famous for its $5 meals, and students from both USyd and UTS flocked there for a cheap feed and a schooner.

Prices have increased since then, but only slightly, and renovations have turned the first floor of the Lansdowne Hotel into a bright and airy space.

The main dining room has a school mess hall feel, but it's comfortable and spacious, and if you time your visit well, there's cosy bench seating in the sunny alcove that overlooks Victoria Park.

Seven bucks will get you a grilled steak, chicken schnitzel, bangers and mash, pesto penne or vegetarian nachos. You have a get a drink as well, but that's rarely a problem for the beer-guzzling uni student.

The food is better than I remembered. We order both the beef and vegetarian nachos and receive a pile of corn chips smothered in beans, cheese and tomatoes. Guacamole and sour cream are not the watered down imitations I've seen in other budget restaurants, and the beef mince isn't overly greasy either.

Grilled steak with chips and mushroom sauce $7

You do need a steak knife to cut the $7 steak, but it's not overly chewy, helped by a ladle of mushroom sauce. The chips are golden and crunchy.

Beer battered flathead with lemon and chips $12.50

And at $12.50 for fish and chips, how can you go wrong? It's a generous serve of beer battered flathead, tartare sauce, lemon wedge, chips and a decent side of salad. Reliving your student days without having to go to lectures afterward.

I used to frequent the Landsdowne when I went to UTS! Years later (post-grad), it was the Market City food court for noodle soup. The food at the Landsdowne looks really good; why can't other pub places serve delicious cheap food, too?